The Mother They've All Always Wanted
by xXFantasyVSRealityxX
Summary: A short three-shot of Charlotte looking after her family. Each chapter is Charlotte taking care of someone and showing them love. Takes place before Tessa comes to the Institute, but if you guys want, I can add a chapter for her later on. I mostly wrote this because I realize no one really writes about Charlotte. I love her!
1. Chapter 1: Jessamine

**AN: I came up with this while looking through Charlotte fanfics and I realized that there aren't enough stories about her. I just love her character, and so I thought that I would write one about her. Enjoy! Disclaimer: TID isn't mine. In fact, if it was, it would probably be awful since Cassandra Clare and no one can write TMI or TID like her. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I AM NOT THAT FAR INTO THE SERIES, SO IF I GET ANYTHING WRONG, I DO APPOLOGIZE. THINGS MIGHT GET CHANGED UP. DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT! I AM ONLY LIKE 100 PAGES INTO THE SECOND BOOK!**

_**Jessamine**_

Charlotte knew her family was odd and a little bit. . . Dysfunctional, but she loved them all. Even the bitter Jessamine whom she felt couldn't stand her. Jessamine wasn't happy here. That was obvious to everyone. She didn't want to be a Shadowhunter, yet she stayed. This was probably because like everyone else in the Institute, Jessamine had no where else to go.

"Charlotte!" Charlotte looked up from her desk to see an red-faced Jessamine in her doorway.

"Yes, Jessamine? What is it?" Charlotte asked, dreading the answer that was soon to come.

"WILL!" Jessamine spat out the one name, and marched over to the desk Charlotte was sitting at. Charlotte understood instantly. _I should have guessed._

"What about Will?" Charlotte asked.

"He's sneaking off again!" She complained. "If we can't sneak off at night, why can will?"

Charlotte put the pen she was using down. "I did not know that he was sneaking off," she told Jessamine honestly. "Do you have any idea where he is headed off to?"

"Probably to escape this dreadful place!" Jessamine said as if it were obvious.

Charlotte glared at her. "Just what do you mean by that?"

Jessamine glared right back, her eyes blazing like fire. "You know exactly what I mean! This place is a prison! I can't imagine why everyone likes staying here so much! It's just dreadful! We train to kill, and when we are not training or killing, we are in the dinning room arguing about the most preposterous things!"

Charlotte thought about it. "Well, to be honest Jessamine, it seems you and Will are the ones always starting the arguments."

"That's because he is a foul human being!" She spat. "I can't stand it here! I wish there was some way to leave and never come back!"

"By all means, be my guest," Charlotte said, motioning to the doorway of the room.

Jessamine looked as though Charlotte had hit her. "But. . . I-" She stammered. "You know I can't leave!"

Charlotte regretted her action immediately. "Jessie-"

Jessamine held up her hand. "You're trying too hard, Charlotte. You're trying to create a perfect family without having any clue as to what you are doing."

"Sit down," Charlotte instructed, gesturing toward the chair on the other side of the desk. And to her surprise, Jessamine did so. "What do you want me to do?" Charlotte asked her once she was seated. "I am doing the best I can."

Jessamine glared at her furiously. "I never said that there was something you could do!" She yelled. "I just-" Jessamine stopped and looked down at the floor. It was silent for a good amount of time when all the sudden, quiet sobs began to escape from her. Charlotte jumped up and rushed toward Jessamine.

"Shhh. . . It's okay," she coaxed her. "I'm sorry, Jessie."

"I want to be normal!" Jessamine wailed through sobs. "I want to be able to fall in love with whom I choose and I want to be able to be seen by men without them seeing these hideous scars!"

Charlotte simply put her arm around Jessamine's shoulders and was surprised when she didn't push her away. "I know," Charlotte whispered. Because even though a lot of people would say otherwise, she did know.


	2. Chapter 2: Jem

**AN: I am so sorry it took me this long to update! I have been so busy with work, family, etc. So, here's another update! Disclaimer: I do not own TMI or TID. Trust me, if I did, it would not have as many fans as it does. Cassandra Clare is the one and only true author for this series. I am just a fan girl.**

_**Jem**_

Charlotte was leaving her room to see if she could find anyone who might know where Will was headed. She had just gotten done with her conversation with Jessamine-who had now gone off to bed-and was worn out. _I wonder what Jessamine is going to be like tomorrow at breakfast, _Charlotte couldn't help but wonder. _Probably the same as usual. She more than likely is going to act like this never happened. Tomorrow everything will be the same. Will will probably be back, Jessamine is going to be yelling at him, and then Jem, as always, will have to calm his _parabatai _down._

Jem!

Of course! He more than likely will know where Will ran off to. If Will was going to tell anyone where he was going, it would be his _parabatai. _She changed her course and headed to Jem's bedroom. It wasn't that late at night. He should still be up and awake.

As soon as she entered the hallway that Jem's room was in, she paused, listening. There wasn't any music playing. That seemed strange because at this time of night he's always playing. Unless he's. . .

Charlotte quickly headed to the bedroom door and knocked fiercly. "Jem!" She called through the door. "JEM!"

There was no answer and Charlotte hesitated. It wasn't proper to enter someone's bedroom without permission. She shook shook her head and silently scolded herself. Manners should be the last thing on her mind.

"Jem, I am coming in," she announced. She figured she at least could give him a warning. She quickly opened the door. At first, she saw nothing. It was dark, and her eyes were used to the lit up halls. But then she gasped, worry overwhelming her. She spotted him. He was on the floor, his back leaning against his bed. His head was bowed down, and she could see him violently shivering.

"Jem," she whispered. She fumbled around and found her witchlight and set it down on Jem's dresser, allowing the glow to fill the room.

He was pale. Dangerously so.

She let out a sad sigh and threw the blanket that was on his bed over him.

"Did you take your medicine, Jem?" she asked him softly.

"O-out," he explained, his voice hoarse and weak. At least she knew where Will was now. "H-he went to get me s'more of-" he broke off when he began to cough harshly. Blood sprayed out of his mouth and onto the floor. Charlotte looked down and noticed that the floor had blood on it, meaning this had happened rubbed his back, feeling completely and utterly helpless.

The finally coughing subsided after a while, leaving Jem breathless and trembling harder than before. Charlotte put her arms around him and rubbed warmth into his arms. "Jem, you need to let someone know before hand when you're running out," she scolded softly.

"I did-didn't know I'd have to take s'much," he explained, sounding so tired and defeated. Charlotte froze. If he was having to increase his doses that could only mean he was getting worse.

Charlotte brushed back some of his damp hair, feeling a fever pulse off of him.

"I need you t-to tell Will-" he began, but Charlotte sharply cut him off.

"Whatever it is, you can tell him yourself. You're going to be okay."

For some reason, that made Jem breathe out a weak laugh. "Everyone is in denial," he whispered. "Why i-is everyone in denial besides me?"

Charlotte didn't answer. She didn't have one. Instead she just sat with him, and waited for Will.

**AN: Once again, so sorry it took that long. And it was really short! I didn't expect it to be that short! Next (and last) chapter will be up sometime this week. Not tonight though, sorry! I also have to apologize if there are any obvious spelling mistakes. For some reason, my spell check doesn't seem to be working. :P So next is going to be Will! If you couldn't guess by now. See you soon!**


	3. Chapter 3: Will

**AN: This is the last chapter! Enjoy!**

_**Will**_

Charlotte was startled by the doors of Jem's room opening quickly and loudly. She watched as Will wasted no time running to his _Parabatai's_ side, holding a small container.

"Charlotte-" Will began, but he didn't need to finish.

"Alright, alright," she said, reluctantly leaving Jem's side. "I am leaving." She left the bedroom, straining not to look back as the doors shut, leaving her in the hallway alone. Will was always protective about Jem's secret. Even to those who already knew about it. She stopped questioning it years ago.

She stood in the hallway alone for quite some time. She had to brush off Sophie who was wondering why Will burst through the Institute doors so late at night in such a hurry. It made Charlotte wonder what time it was. Hopefully not too late. She had a lot of work to do.

Her head snapped up when she heard the doors open. She looked at Will who was trying to hide his worry with a casual look. Something he had been doing for quite a while and could no longer hide from her.

"I was almost too late." Those were the first words out of his mouth. He was blaming himself. Just like he usually did.

"Will," Charlotte said, reaching to put a hand on his shoulder but he brushed her off and turned away. "Will," she said again a little more sternly. "Will look at me."

He turned around and looked at her, his eyes filled with sadness. He wasn't even trying to hide his worry anymore.

She sighed. "This isn't your fault, Will. You know it's not. So stop blaming yourself."

"I put myself in charge of taking care of him." The word were spoken so softly she almost didn't hear them. "And I am doing a pretty terrible job."

Charlotte let out a small noise of surprise. "Will! No! Don't say that! Think about how upset Jem would be if he heard you talking like this. You have to stay strong for him. We all do."

"He's dying, Charlotte!" Charlotte stepped back as Will snapped. "And that's how it will be until he just can't fight anymore."

"You think I don't know this?" Charlotte asked him, feeling her anger also rise. "I took him in under my wing knowing exactly what was going to happen. I have always known that Jem will eventually fade away."

Will turned around, not being able to look her in the eyes anymore. "I told myself I wouldn't get too attached to him," he whispered.

"What?" Charlotte asked. She had heard him, but wasn't sure what he meant.

"When I found out about what happened to him, I told myself I wouldn't get too attached to him," Will explained. "I made myself promise. But. . . I broke it. I broke my promise. And now I just can't imagine going on without him. I can't imagine going on without him telling me to stop being so obnoxious, or to apologize to Jessamine, or fighting along my side. I-" he broke off, not being able to finish. Charlotte noticed a tear was sliding down his cheek.

Will was crying.

Charlotte watched as his shoulders shook with sobs. She approached him cautiously as if she was trying to avoid startling a wild animal. She very slowly put a hand on his shoulder. . .

The reaction was almost immediate. He didn't shake her off like she expected him to. Instead, he turned around, and threw his arms around Charlotte and began to cry into her shoulder.

"Shhh. It's okay," she whispered, keeping a hand on his back. "It is alright to let yourself cry when you really need to."

Will just continued to sob into her. He hung onto her tightly, as if he would never let her go.

* * *

Charlotte plopped down in bed, feeling completely exhausted. First Jessamine, then Jem, and lastly, Will.

Being a motherly figure is hard.


End file.
